U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Program

Fact #228: August 5, 2002
New Light Vehicle Sales Shares, 1976-2001

Light trucks, which include pickups, vans, and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), increased their share of the new light vehicle market from 20% in 1976 to 50% in 2001. The graph shows the market shares of each size class with the light trucks labeled in blue and the cars labeled in green. The graph shows the emergence of the minivan in the early 1980s and the rising popularity of SUVs in the 1990s.

New Light Vehicle Sales Shares by Size Class, 1976-2001
Graph: New Light Vehicle Sales Shares by Size Class, 1976-2001

Supporting Information

Year Mini-
comp
Car		 Sub-
comp
Car		 Comp
Car		 Mid-
size
Car		 Lg
Car		 Two-
Seat
Car		 Sm
Pick-up		 Lg
Pick-up		 Sm
Van		 Lg
Van		 Sm
SUV		 Med
SUV		 Lg
SUV
1976 0.0% 21.7% 23.5% 15.0% 18.2% 1.7% 1.4% 13.1% 0.2% 4.8% 0.0% 0.4% 0.1%
1977 6.5% 15.4% 21.7% 15.6% 19.9% 1.7% 2.1% 13.2% 0.2% 3.2% 0.0% 0.5% 0.1%
1978 6.7% 15.0% 12.0% 26.1% 17.6% 1.5% 2.2% 13.4% 0.2% 4.8% 0.0% 0.3% 0.1%
1979 4.3% 24.4% 6.7% 26.9% 15.4% 1.7% 3.3% 12.0% 0.1% 4.3% 0.4% 0.4% 0.1%
1980 3.8% 30.4% 5.3% 27.2% 11.8% 1.9% 4.6% 9.9% 0.1% 2.9% 0.5% 1.3% 0.3%
1981 2.7% 27.1% 11.0% 28.8% 10.2% 2.2% 4.4% 8.9% 0.1% 3.0% 0.4% 0.8% 0.2%
1982 2.3% 24.6% 13.3% 25.9% 10.2% 2.1% 5.9% 10.2% 0.1% 3.9% 0.3% 1.0% 0.3%
1983 2.0% 20.5% 16.8% 24.3% 11.1% 1.8% 7.8% 8.4% 0.1% 4.2% 1.5% 1.1% 0.4%
1984 0.3% 18.2% 20.0% 22.1% 10.9% 2.4% 6.2% 10.0% 1.6% 3.9% 2.8% 1.1% 0.5%
1985 0.3% 15.7% 23.2% 20.5% 10.0% 2.5% 5.7% 11.1% 2.9% 3.5% 2.9% 1.2% 0.5%
1986 1.2% 15.9% 23.6% 19.1% 9.4% 1.8% 6.3% 10.2% 4.1% 3.3% 3.4% 1.2% 0.6%
1987 1.0% 13.5% 27.2% 17.3% 8.7% 1.6% 6.5% 10.3% 4.9% 3.2% 3.8% 1.5% 0.5%
1988 0.6% 13.1% 27.8% 16.9% 9.1% 1.2% 6.8% 9.6% 5.6% 3.2% 3.9% 1.5% 0.6%
1989 0.1% 13.1% 24.7% 19.7% 9.4% 1.1% 5.9% 10.6% 5.8% 3.2% 3.1% 2.7% 0.7%
1990 0.6% 14.8% 23.0% 18.3% 9.3% 1.2% 8.3% 8.1% 7.4% 2.3% 2.9% 3.2% 0.7%
1991 0.8% 18.2% 19.5% 18.6% 9.3% 1.1% 8.1% 7.5% 7.6% 2.0% 2.8% 4.0% 0.6%
1992 0.9% 16.6% 19.6% 18.0% 9.1% 0.7% 8.0% 8.3% 8.3% 2.2% 3.1% 4.7% 0.6%
1993 0.6% 14.5% 19.8% 18.2% 8.8% 0.5% 8.1% 8.3% 8.9% 2.3% 3.1% 5.8% 0.9%
1994 0.4% 13.8% 21.0% 16.1% 9.2% 0.5% 7.9% 9.6% 9.2% 2.2% 3.0% 6.3% 1.0%
1995 0.3% 10.4% 22.4% 17.0% 9.0% 0.4% 7.3% 10.0% 9.1% 2.2% 3.5% 7.3% 1.0%
1996 0.2% 8.8% 23.5% 16.7% 8.5% 0.4% 6.8% 10.8% 8.8% 2.0% 3.9% 8.5% 1.1%
1997 0.3% 10.2% 19.9% 17.1% 7.9% 0.5% 6.6% 10.8% 8.8% 2.1% 2.4% 9.8% 3.8%
1998 0.1% 9.8% 15.2% 20.4% 6.9% 0.7% 5.9% 12.8% 8.4% 2.2% 3.2% 10.4% 4.1%
1999 0.1% 9.7% 14.2% 20.2% 7.1% 0.6% 6.7% 12.1% 8.2% 2.2% 4.0% 10.6% 4.3%
2000 0.1% 10.4% 13.9% 19.4% 7.5% 0.7% 6.2% 11.4% 7.4% 2.1% 4.4% 12.5% 4.1%
2001 0.2% 5.6% 18.7% 16.3% 9.2% 0.7% 5.0% 12.2% 6.4% 2.0% 5.5% 13.2% 4.8%

Source: ORNL Light Vehicle MPG and Market Shares Database, 2002.

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